I just finished with the enviable task of upgrading to a new computer. Over my lifetime, I have lost count of the number of times I have upgraded my computer and had to move files and reinstall the software. This was the easiest upgrade I ever had, and I believe it was in large part to my preparation. I would like to share my lessons learned.
Preparing Your Files and Software
When upgrading a computer, you need to be concerned about not only your files but also your programs and settings. Here are the steps I took:
List Your Installed Programs
The programs I use are important to me. They help me achieve my goals. However, there are some that I use infrequently, and I might not produce a list of them from memory. Instead, I printed a list of loaded programs, so that I could track them down later. To do that, I used a small batch file to dump file and directory lists to a text file.
Gather Your Software Installation Keys
Before starting to shut down one computer and starting a new computer, I ensured I had software keys for commercial software applications. I store my keys in an encrypted file on Evernote. Evernote is one of the first programs I load when I install software.
Back Up Your Files
While there are programs that will allow you to move files and settings from one computer to another, I have personally had mixed experiences and shy away from them. I may do it the hard way, but still successfully. If you have not practised good file management, now is the time to organize all your files into logical folders. I then move all my folders and files onto my Dropbox and off of my computer. I pay for the subscription, but it has been worth it to me. When I set up my new computer, Dropbox is the second program I install.
Record Your Mapped Drives
Right now, I have 15 mapped drives. To ensure that I was not forgetting anything, I printed out a list of my mapped drives. You can do this by going to the command prompt and running “net use > mapped_drives.txt. ” It creates a useful list of your mapped drives. One less thing to forget.
Export Your Contacts and Bookmarks
As a minimum, save a backup of your address books and bookmarks from your e-mail client and Web browsers. I am not so concerned about my bookmarks because I use Diigo for all my links. However, I have some quick access links I use. It is nice to have access to them immediately. I also have email messages saved in local PST files I burned to CD.
Back up your fonts
My boss, who is a graphic designer, recommended this last suggestion. She suggested that you back up your fonts and print out a list of them.
Setting Up the New Computer
After taking the time to carry out this preparation, getting back in service was quite painless. Once I had my new computer up and running, I immediately installed and configured Google Chrome, Dropbox, Evernote, and Skype. I then set up my Outlook account. After the initial setup, I began loading my software applications. Here is what is important to me:
- Google Desktop
- Adobe Reader
- Audacity
- Flash
- Adobe Air
- Filezilla
- Lame for Audacity
- Firefox
- Notepad++
- Mihov Image Resizer
- PDF Creator
- Tweetdeck
- Ventrillo
- Second Life
- Zenu
- Zotero
- Winmerge
- Accuradio
- Dragon Naturally Speaking
- Google Earth
- Camtasia
- Gimp 2
- PDF Split and Merge
- Adobe Captivate
Checking the Final Settings
After loading all the software, I took some time to configure security, audio, and printer settings. The easiest upgrade I ever had. What do you do to prepare for your computer upgrades?
Additional Reading
- In the spirit of full disclosure, this is an affiliate link, so if you purchase this item through my link, I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. I only recommend products & systems that I use and love myself, so I know you’ll be in good hands.
Plus, when you order through my link, it helps me to continue to offer you a lot of free stuff. 🙂 Thank you in advance for your support!
Your post is very informative. Aside from using a external drive, one can also can also transfer data through online data backup.